STOCKTON, Calif. – The Gonzaga volleyball team overcame a two-game deficit to force a deciding fifth set Saturday afternoon at Pacific, but GU wasn't able to pull out the win (25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 28-30, 15-8) at the Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton, Calif.
 
Gonzaga (6-13, 3-5 WCC) was led by Sarah Penner and Kennedy Croft, each with a season-high 18 kills, while Faith Smith added her third double-double of the year with 53 assists and 10 digs. Four players finished with double-figure digs as the Zags had 70 total.
 
"[Kennedy] Croft came to win," head volleyball coach Diane Nelson said. "She found another level today and helped out in such a big way. We just didn't get the contribution we needed from other areas."
 
Pacific (7-12, 2-6 WCC) took the first two sets, notching 16 kills in each to win 25-21 and 25-22 and take the early 2-0 lead.
 
Gonzaga countered, and put together back-to-back set wins to tie the match 2-2. In the third set, Penner, Croft and Perry Ramsey came alive, combining for 12 of GU's 14 kills on the way to a 25-23 win. Then in the fourth, GU had 19 kills in a 30-28 set win. Croft had six kills in the set and Katelyn Oppio had four, including the set winner.
 
In the fifth set, it was all Pacific as the Tigers hit .455 and Gonzaga wasn't able to counter, falling 15-8.
 
Gonzaga will be back on the Martin Centre floor at home for its next three matches, starting with Portland on Oct. 20 at 12 p.m. Live coverage will be available at GoZags.com.